Guard-finger



F. CRAWFORD.

GUARD FINGER.

APPLICATION HLED JAN.29, 1920.

1 ,396,997 Patented Nov. 15, 1921.

stares FRED CRAWFORD, OF PROS SEBJ, WASHINGTON.

GUARD-FINGER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 15, 1921.

Application filed January 29, 1920. Serial No. 354,813.

To aZZ who 11bit may concern: I

Be it known that I, FRED CRAWFORD, a citizen of the a United States, residing at Prosser, in the county of Benton and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Guard-Fingers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to guard fingers for mowing apparatus and has special reference to the means for securing the ledger plate or fixed knife in position upon the finger. The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through a guard finger showing one embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing another embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view of one form f stationary knife and retaining tongue;

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the guard finger;

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the form of knife shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a detail plan view of the rear end of the guard finger shown in Fig. 2.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 and 4, the guard finger 1 is of the type disclosed 1,239,570, granted to me September 11, 1917, being constructed with a longitudinally slotted extension or rear end 2 which fits within the hollow finger bar 30. The finger bar in cross section has the outline of the letter U turned on its side and the guard finger is secured therein by an anchor 31 having a laterally enlarged head 32 provided with inclined shoulders 33 on its sides to engage upon correspondingly inclined shoulders 34 in the side walls of the slot in the extension or rear end 2, a nut 36 on the threaded extremity of the anchor bolt, which extends through the back wall of the finger bar, being turned home against the finger bar to secure the parts together. The guard finger is constructed with lateral wings or lugs 4 which are adapted to bear against similar lugs on adjacent guard fingers and thereby provide a continuous guide for the cutter bar and reciprocating knife. The guard finger is constructed with a depressed portion or groove 5 between the said wings or lugs 4 and the rear extension 2 in which the cutter bar may reciprocate freely and the rear faces of the lugs 4 are disposed in verfor the cutter bar.

in Letters Patent No;

tical planes so as to furnish an efficient guide Between the laterally exguard finger is recessed, as shown at 6, to accommodate the ledger plate or stationary knife 7 and shoulders 8 are thus provided at the inner extremities of the lugs to be engaged by the inclined edges 9 of the rear downturned lip 10 at the end of the said ledger plate or stationary knife. Midway between the lugs or wings 4, a projection or locking lug 11 is formed upon the guard finger to be engaged within the opening 12 formed in the stationary knife at the rear end thereof, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. The body of the guard finger is channeled, as shown at 13,whereby the weight of the finger is reduced without any sacrifice of its strength and this channel is extended to the rear extension 2, as clearly shown, the lug 11 being formed on. a bridge 14 which extends between the sides of the guard finger in alinement with the lateral wings or lugs 4. In the preferred form of the invention, the lower end or edge of the downturned lip 10 will rest upon the floor of the chamber 13 and the rearmost wall of the opening 12 will be slightly below the said bridge 14. To positively retain the knife in position, Iprovide a locking tongue 15 which is adapted to rest upon the floor of the chamber 13 and have its rear end engaged under the head 32 of the anchor bolt 31 whereby it will be held in place. Near its front extremity, the looking tongue 15 is bent sharply upwardly, as shown at 16, and then forwardly as shown at 17, the forwardly projecting extremity 17 constituting a tooth to enter the opening 12 and engage under the bridge 14, as clearl shown in Fig. 1, whereby the lip 10 will be held firmly down to the floor of the chamber 13. It will thus be seen that the ledger plate or stationary knife will be locked in position upon the guard finger so that it cannot he accidentally released but if it should be broken, so that a new knife must be substituted, it can be very quickly and easily removed and the necessary repairs made.

In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 2, the locking tongue 20 is formed integral with the rear lip 21 of the stationary knife 22 and the guard finger 23 is provided with the usual lugs or wings 24 against which the front edge of the finger bar 35 bears, said lugs or wings forming rear guides for the cutter bar. The tongue 20 projects rearwardly under and is held down by the tending lugs 4, the

finger bar which is of the usual form and is bolted to the guard finger by a bolt 25 inserted vertically through the finger bar and the rear end of the guard finger. In this embodiment of the invention, the guard finger is constructed with the bridge 26 and the stationary knife has the opening 27, corresponding in every respect to the opening 12, and the lip 21 has the same inclined edges to engage with inclined shoulders on the guard finger so that the knife will be firmly secured in place without the use of any bolts, screws or similar fasteners inserted directly through the same.

My invention is exceedingly simple and inexpensive and will very effectually hold the stationary knife in its proper operative position upon the guard finger.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. The combination with a guard finger having a longitudinally extending channel and provided with a locking lug above the channel, of a stationary knife having an opening to engage said locking lug, and a locking tongue fitting in the channel and arranged to prevent upward movement of the stationary knife relative to the guard finger. I

2. The combination of a guard finger having a longitudinally extending channel and provided with a bridge extending across the rear portion of said channel, a locking lug on said bridge, a stationary knife fitted in the guard finger over the forward portion of said channel and having a depending lip entering the channel, said knife being provided at its junction with said lip with an opening to engage around the locking lug on the bridge of the guard finger, and a locking tongue extending from the depending lip and fitting in the rear portion of the channel in the guard finger. V i

3. The combination of a guard finger having a longitudinally extending channel, a bridge extending over said channel near the rear end thereof, a locking lug on said bridge and stop shoulders at the ends of the bridge, a stationary knife extending over the forward portion of said channel and having a lip depending below the said bridge and fitting between said stop shoulders, the knife and said lip being constructed with an opening to engage around said locking lug, and

'a locking tongue seating in the channel in the guard finger in rear of the depending lip and having a tooth extending through the opening in said lip and engaging under the bridge on the guard finger.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature.

FRED CRAWFORD. 14. 8. 

